Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series is awarded to one television series each year. Prior to 2016, specials and series competed together. Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special now separately recognizes specials.

In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place.

Winners and nominations
{{legend|#FAEB86|indicates the winner}}

1970s
Outstanding Art Direction for a Single Episode of a Comedy-Variety or Music Series or a Comedy-Variety or Music Special

Outstanding Art Direction for a Comedy-Variety or Music Series

1980s
Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program

2000s
Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety, Music Program or Special

Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Programming

2010s
Outstanding Production Design For Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Programming

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Series

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Reality-Competition Series

Programs with multiple wins

 * 7 wins
 * Saturday Night Live


 * 2 wins
 * Cher
 * Portlandia

Programs with multiple nominations
Totals include nominations for Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series.


 * 19 nominations
 * Saturday Night Live


 * 9 nominations
 * MADtv


 * 8 nominations
 * The Carol Burnett Show
 * The Voice


 * 6 nominations
 * Last Week Tonight with John Oliver


 * 5 nominations
 * American Idol
 * Hell's Kitchen
 * Tracey Takes On...


 * 4 nominations
 * Portlandia
 * Queer Eye
 * RuPaul's Drag Race


 * 3 nominations
 * Dancing with the Stars
 * Drunk History
 * The Flip Wilson Show
 * The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
 * The Late Show with Stephen Colbert


 * 2 nominations
 * At Home with Amy Sedaris
 * Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters
 * Bill Nye Saves the World
 * A Black Lady Sketch Show
 * Cher
 * Donny & Marie
 * Engineering an Empire
 * Late Show with David Letterman
 * The Muppet Show
 * Muppets Tonight
 * The Tracey Ullman Show